


My Father is a Ninja who just Wanted to Dance-Discontinued

by orphan_account



Category: Game Grumps, youtube - Fandom
Genre: Gen, Major Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-29
Updated: 2016-01-29
Packaged: 2018-04-17 03:52:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 5,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4651179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jaime Buchanan is Dan's daughter.</p><p>She's 16 when he's 34.</p><p>A series of one-shots around their father/daughter relationship.</p><p>This version of the series is discontinued. Please look for the newer series, one where the characterization and general plot is better, hopefully.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Uncharted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's hard to adjust.
> 
> 5 weeks after Jaime first came to California.

Everyone knew that the first few weeks- hell, _months-_ would be awkward for him and Jaime. 

It's just no one knew how awkward.

They skirted around each other. Jaime locked herself up in her room, only coming out for the bathroom or meals. Said meals were tense and painfully silent. No one knew what to say.

Nevertheless, both Jaime and Dan felt terrible for Barry. A civilian who got pulled into the fray. He was trying his damndest to ease the tension between father and daughter, but nothing was working. Dan was too busy adjusting to the idea of having a kid, and Jaime was too busy adjusting to the idea of having a father instead of a mother. It was uncharted territory for everybody involved.

 One day, Barry decided he had enough. Dan was out, leaving Jaime and Barry in the house alone. Jaime was in her room as usual. Barry was brooding. This needed to stop, for his sake as well as theirs. So he went over to Jaime's room and knocked on the door.

"I'm coming in. Are you decent and have you hid all the drugs, alchohol, and strippers?"

A faint and sniggered 'yeah' gave him the all clear to proceed. He opened the door. 

Jaime had unpacked all of her belongings. The room was still plain, but her personal effects were all set up were she could a find a place for them. She was sitting on the floor, book laying in front of her.

"Hey....What are you doing?"

"reading."  
  
"Oh....what book?"

"The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle."

Barry swallowed a grin. She was her father's daughter, in the end. He watched her read for a few minutes. 

"Are you here for something?" She suddenly asked. This wasn't in any way malicious. It was curiousity.

Barry sat on the floor across from Jaime, letting out a small grunt as his butt hit the floor. He took in a breath. "This is hard....For everyone." He started out. He noticed her tense. "But your dad.....he's a good guy. You should give him a chance."

"I know...."She sighed. She gently closed her book. " It's not that I think he's a bad person, but....how the hell do I start?"

Barry cocked his head in confusion."What do you mean?"

"How do I even start this? I mean, it's not as weird with you because you're not my father. I can get to know you like normal person. Dan is supposed to be my  _dad."_

"is there any difference?"

"Yes? No? I don't know." Her shoulders slumped. "It feels different, that's the point. I don't know how to start this....getting to know your father, thing."

"Just...." Barry rubbed his neck. " Jump right in, I guess. That's what I did a few minutes ago, and we seem to be getting along fine."

Jaime let out a small huff of laughter. "There is that." she ran her fingers through her hair. "I'll try, Barry." She assured. "I'll try."

 

~

 

"I'm home!" Dan called out to the apartment. He walked into the living room. Barry waved from the couch. 

"Hey Dan."

"Hey. Has Jaime....?" He didn't know what he was asking. Has Jaime left her room? Has she talked to you?

"Hey."

Dan turned. Jaime was standing in the hallway leading to her bedroom. She wasn't looking at him, but took a deep breath. " I-uh-don't like color white, all that much."

"Huh?"

"It feels sterile and-uh-kinda unnatural. Can we go shopping? Like for paint and bedding?"

Dan blinked. This was sudden....Though not entirely unwelcome. 

"Uh....Sure, absolutely! We can go right now, if you want." He may have seemed a bit too enthusiastic. He was just incredibly excited that he was finally bonding with his daughter. She smiled softly.

"I'd like that."

 

 Being uncharted is not always bad.

 


	2. Purely, solely, the eyes.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes it just hits you.
> 
> 3 months after Jaime came to California.

This whole....having a kid thing was strange for Dan. It was hard for him to imagine a little copy of himself walking about in the world, even when she was standing in front of him with her arms folded and a hard expression on her face.

"I don't want to go."

You know how sometimes you can't see how you look like your family? Others can see it plain as day, but you for the life of you just  _can't?_

Dan didn't have that with Jaime.

He could see that she was his daughter.They had the same hair , same face, and same tall frame. She had his smile, his expressions, and his mannerisms too. What cinched it for Danny was the hair. It was just so reminiscent of his, the way it seemed determined to break every law of physics in place. Barry disagreed.

He said what did for him was her eyes.

They were Dan's eyes. Not the slight mix between his and Jaime's mother that lead to their daughter's neater hair, softer jawline, and more muscular limbs-but Dan's alone. Dark, sleepy, warm. The eyes that made you feel like you were a friend despite only knowing their owner for a few moments.

At this very moment, however, these eyes were not friendly and welcoming.

"Jaime, it's just orientation." In all honesty, he found it dumb himself. It wasn't like she was new to high school. Orientation was for freshmen who didn't know what the hell was going to happen to them, not a seasoned sophomore. Despite this, the social worker in charge of Jaime said that orientation might be good for her. To help adjust to this new life.

"Orientation is for freshmen. If I go, I'll be the babysitter to a bunch of children!"

She didn't share his temperament.

"You're a children." He pointed out. A muscle worked in her jaw. 

"Dan, I know how high school works. I don't need a crash course."

"The social worker said it would help you adjust."

"I'm pretty sure singling me out before school even starts won't help!" She threw up her hands in exasperation.

"Okay, okay, calm down." Dan put his hands on her shoulders. After a few second stare down, the tension left Jaime's shoulders and she let out a heavy sigh.

"Don't make me go." This was pleading. He rose his eyebrows. " I don't want to be the odd one out and orientation is stupid and pointless."

"The social worker-"

"Can we just say screw him and stay home? Relish in the last few days of my freedom?" Exhaustion was creeping into her voice. A trait she inherited from her mother. Her body was not meant for anger, it wore her out quickly.

"You don't want to meet your teachers? See the school before you're thrown into battle?"

"No, no, just...no." 

She met his eyes. 

And he could see what Barry was talking about.

The same eyes he saw on an almost daily basis in the mirror were staring up at him. Not Mary's, not his and Mary's....

Purely, solely his. 

Purely, solely his daughter.

 

"Alright."

Jaime cocked her head in surprise. It wasn't that she was unhappy that he agreed to her (somewhat hysterical) request, but surprised that he gave in. "Huh?"

"You don't have to go tomorrow. Besides, I thought the idea was dumb too. So....Movie night?"

"....Sure."

"Awesome. It's your turn for ice-cream, my turn for movie."

Jaime brightened. She loved choosing the ice-cream. "Got it boss!" She said with a grin. He grinned back. As she pranced towards the kitchen, his grin softened. 

Purely, solely, his daughter.

 

 

 

 


	3. Fighting words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your face is fighting words.
> 
> 5 months after Jaime came to California.

"I can't believe you got detention."

Dan was lamenting this the whole car-ride home. Jaime said nothing. She was too furious to say anything. "I can't believe you got detention!"

"You said that already." Her tone was the eerie calm that was sometimes the most dangerous.

Dan glanced at his daughter. He wasn't disappointed in her, just surprised. Jaime could get hot-headed, but she didn't seem the type to get detention. "Were you this angry the entire hour?" That could be dangerous, being that angry for that long.

"Angrier." She was glaring outside the passenger window. Short and tight-lipped answers were never good.

"Aren't you tired?" 

"No." A lie. She got tired when she got angry, but Dan decided not to push it. Instead, he asked a more pressing question.

"Why did you get detention?" He glanced at his daughter again. He noticed the hand in her lap unconsciously curl. Her knuckles were bruised. "Did you fight someone?!" She said nothing, which was answer enough. Dan scoffed in disbelief. " Are you serious?!"

"In my defense, that guy was a dick." Jaime muttered.

"You still fought someone! You could've gotten hurt-you did get hurt!"

"You should see him."

"Jaime!"

Rarely did Dan pull out the 'dad' voice. In the months living together, Jaime had heard it only once or twice. Barry and the rest of his friends had _never_ heard it.

But Dan was scared. His daughter had gotten into a fight. She could've gotten seriously hurt.

Jaime's lips pressed together."I did it for a good reason."

"What reason could've been good enough to punch someone?"

A deep exhale through her nose. "He was harassing my friend. I told him to back off and then he called me a 'feisty Aussie who wants to play'. I punched him in the face because he was being a stupid child....And because I'm _not_ Australian."

Dan sucked in a breath. She was touchy about her accent. Born in Oxford and having moved to America a few years ago, she was self-conscious about how differently she spoke. It was best to not mention it. Dan had made the mistake of doing so around a month after he got her.

He didn't do it again.

"And you got detention.... Did he at least get the same punishment?"

She shrugged. "As far as I know, all he got was a motherly nurse cooing over him. He played the victim card very well. Hopefully he got some sort of punishment, though, considering the teacher who separated us was a woman and she should know how....predatory some men can be."

Dan parked the car. Jaime grabbed her backpack and hopped out. He stayed in for a moment.

Dan didn't like the idea of Jaime being violent. She was passionate, and he was fine with that, but punching someone in the face? That was a little frightening. He could never throw a swing like that.

He got out. When he walked into his home, Jaime was on the couch and scribbling in her notebook.

"Facts, music, or art?" Dan asked. That's what Jaime always wrote down. A new and interesting fact, composing music, or drawing.

"Music."

That made sense. Facts were when she was overwhelmed. Music was for intense emotion. Art was when she was bored. He sat next to her. "Can I look?"

"No." No one could look. Not him, not Mary, not anyone. He smiled.

"Just thought I'd take my chances."

Silence. Then she stopped and closed her eyes. She was tired, done with being angry. "I'm sorry I punched him." 

He put an arm around her shoulder. "I can't say I blame you." He sighed. "Though I would've done it differently...."

She smiled softly. "Yeah...." Her softie of a father would never lay a finger on a fly. She honestly admired that about him. He didn't let his emotions get to him. He didn't let people get to him.

More silence, though more comfortable this time. Dan held his hand out in front of Jaime.

"Can we make a promise? No more fights? Or at least try to have no more fights."

She sighed and took the hand. "No more fights."

They shook on it. She added as an afterthought, "Though I can't say no more detentions."

He grinned.

I can live with that."

 

 

 

 

 


	4. I love you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It can be hard to say.
> 
> 8 months after Dan got Jaime.

Jaime had been acting weird lately. Silent and unfocused. She kept looking at her phone- something she never did for more than 2 seconds at a time- and she wasn't smiling like she always did. Dan was worried, Barry was worried, everyone who noticed was worried.

Jaime sat on the couch with a notebook in her lap. She was on her phone _again._ Dan watched from the doorway, an uncharacteristicaly deep frown on his face. After a minute or two passed, Dan sighed an made his way to the couch before sitting heavily next to his daughter. "Hey."

She gave him a quiet "hey," back. Still on that phone.

"What's up?"

She shrugged. He rose his eyebrows. "What'cha looking at?" That got her to put the phone away. 

"Nothing." She sucked in her lip. She was going to make that bite scar on it worse.

"You're going to make that scar worse." He had to mention it. As a father he had to.

"I'm not touching anywhere near my cheek."She retorted. That was the scar everyone knew about. The one under her eye from when someone in preschool threw a pair of scissors at her. She didn't think he knew about her lip. Not many did.

"Your lip, you goof. Stop biting at your lip." She gave him an unreadble look. He smiled assuringly. " Now what's going on? You're acting stupid." Loving. His tone was nothing but loving.

"I'm not acting stupid." She said defensively.

"Yeah you are, Everyone can see it! You're a terrible actor." This ribbing was to make her feel safe. It worked. She smiled, though albeit a little sad. She was a good actor. You know you are one when your audience doesn't think you are acting. Dan didn't think she was acting. He could see the surface, but he had no idea of what was underneath. She blew out a shaky sigh.

"You know how you told me to never look at the comments?" Youtube, Instagram, Reddit- She was warned again and again to ignore them. 

"Yeah." He cocked his head, then understanding slowly dawned on his face. " No-Jaime you didn't!" Her heavy inhale was answer enough. He could only imagine what she read. "What did you-how bad?" If he she said anything sexual he might lose it. He learned that few things made him angry-intentionally shitty people and anyone who messed with his kid were two of them. 

"....Someone said that I ruined your life." She was still quiet. "And it bugs me because they're right."

Dan stared speechless. Jaime thought she ruined his life. He didnt think that, just imagining thinking that made tears well up in his eyes. "No-Jaime don't you dare say that." He grabbed her and hugged her head to his chest. "Don't you dare-" His voice starting cracking. He sniffed. "You are one of the best things in my life. You couldn't have ruined my life even if you tried-that's how much I fucking love you." 

Jaime smiled slightly. That's her dad, a fuck a day kept the doctor away. He jostled her a bit. "Dont listen to those assholes. They're probably jealous that they don't have a bangin' daughter like you and a kickass dad like me."

"You're pretty great, even if you are weird." She grinned.

"And who the fuck do you think I gave that too, huh? My weird didn't just disappear!" He laughed and placed a firm kiss on her forehead. He let her go, though once she shifted a bit he grabbed her and hugged her properly. 

"Dan let go!"

"Never!"

He gave her a squeeze before seriously letting go. She got up and put her arms on her hips. He smiled at her smile. It was an odd ego boost to have helped her feel better. "I'm gonna go get shit for chocolate chip cookies." She announced.

"We just had a heart to heart and now you're going to make cookies?" Dan asked incredulously.

"There is never a not-good time for cookies."

He couldn't argue with that logic.

She started racing around like she normally did, grabbing her wallet and a hairtie and her Raggedy Jacket and her hat and her socks and her shoes-running all around the house with her father watching with a maniac grin. This was the Jaime he loved. Soon she was standing in the living room doorway all dressed and ready to go. 

"Stay safe." Dan had to tell her that. She nodded. She made her way to the door, but then stopped.

"Danny?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you. I'm glad you're my dad." One blown kiss later Jaime was gone. Dan stared after her. She loved him.

She loved him.

She loved him! And she was glad he was her dad!

He fumbled with his phone and messily ran through the contacts. He found who he wanted to call and pressed the right button.

"Hello?"

"Arin!? I have something amazing to tell you!"

 

 


	5. True self

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's relieving to find.
> 
> 4 months after Jaime came to California.

Jaime had thought she knew what it was like to make friends. What it meant to have fun.

To make friends you find the people who seem in your league. You know whose in your league when they look at you in neither awe or disdain.

Then be friendly, be casual, be confident. Adopt what they enjoyed as your own, or at least find a middle ground to talk about (even if you don't particularly enjoy it. Knowing about it was enough). If you found it exhausting-the pretending and effort-it only meant you were doing it right.

To have fun was to go out with friends. Suggest popular spots and pastimes. Music was not fun, nor was animation or programming. Nothing you did alone nor anything particularly nerdy was fun. Drinking was fun, it didn't matter if the taste was bitter. Parties were fun, even if the music was too loud or the hormones were too high. Getting drunk or high was especially fun, even if not being able to control your body correctly scared the hell out of you. Just pretend. Fun and being happy were two different things.

Jaime needed to be an every man to have friends and fun. Exude her non-existent confidence, feign calm, adopt formality. It was tiring, but that's what she was supposed to do.

Sometimes she wondered how she came to this....habit. Putting on a mask to fit in. She didn't know.

 

Then she went to California, and her whole thinking was ripped apart.

 

Her father was not a conventional....cool person. He was geeky and silly. He was terrible at sports. He was not _cool_.

But Dan was loved dearly. People could only dream of meeting him, of being like him, and he didn't fake who he was. Friends and fans adored him, _she_ adored him, despite his being so goofy and weird.

When Jaime first met her father, it was jarring. This man so confident in his bizarre nature. It was real confidence, not the one she faked. A silly, dopey smile was on his face, one that Jaime owned but was never worn so freely.  

In the car driving home, Dan asked questions. 'What do you love?' 'Is there somewhere you want to travel?' 'Do you know another language?' 'How's your mom?' For some reason she answered honestly. She would later realize that she could never,  _ever,_ lie to her father. The car ride was awkward, but who cares?

Jaime met his friends around the second month. Arin, Suzy, Ross, Holly, Kevin, Brian, Rachel, Paulette, Mark, etc, etc. She was particularly fond of Ross and Arin, probably because they were artists and Jaime loved to draw. These people were just as weird as Dan, but just as loved, just as lovable. It was so strange for her.

Jaime liked to draw, she liked to animate. She also loved to play violin and to program. She liked nerdy and loaner things that she believed that no one would like her for.

But she was so wrong.

Dan liked who she was. Quick paced, somewhat neurotic, theatrical, charasmatic. When school started, he told her to be herself. Because of that, she made friends. Real friends. Suddenly people weren't as exhausting. Fun wasn't draining. Friends and fun made her happy.

She was happy.


	6. Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She couldn't lose anyone else.
> 
> 8 months after Jaime came to Dan.

Jaime was forbidden to leave the house.

She had a habit of getting herself sick but insisting on marching on, exsaserbating her illness to an extent that could've been avoided. So when the thermometer stuck under Jaime's tongue read a hefty 103 degrees, Dan put her on lockdown. She couldn't really argue-her mind was slow and foggy.

Dan asked if she needed anything from the store. She said something stupid with a tired shit-eating grin, proud of her humor. He laughed and ruffled her hair before walking out the door.

He was gone entirely too long.

Barry was checking his phone, seeing if Dan texted. Jaime stayed silent, but even in her feverish haze she realized that something was very wrong. 

There was a call. Barry answered it. Jaime watched from the couch. She could see the dawning horror on his face. Worry began to choke her. Once he ended the call with a shaking hand, she asked what was wrong, getting up on equally shaking feet.

He didn't want to say.

 Prying and pleading lead to him to finally tell her. Dan was in an accident. Jaime's mind went blank. Barry started getting his jacket and keys and wallet, giving Jaime the order of staying home. She could barely hear him. All she could hear was the screaming in her head that was on a crescendo. She pressed at her temples. This couldn't be happening.

Barry didnt notice her distress or chose to ignore it. Dan was the main concern. With a promise to keep her updated, he left through the same door Dan did mere hours before.

Jaime staggered to rest against the wall. Her eyes were squeezed shut. Not again. Please not again.

She slid own the wall. Then she hid her face in her knees and cried.


	7. Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter Jaime
> 
> 5 months after Jaime came to California.
> 
> A short thing about the first time they met.

Jaime plowed through the airport crowd with her eyes focused on the ground. Her height and swift gait made other flyers jump aside. She was not a force to be reckoned with.

Her hands were gripping the lapels of her jacket. It was made for a man. A much large, bulkier man. It was designed to reach the waist but on her it reached to her knees. Her coat was worn and faded. Originally black turned gray, the elbows were patched, her buttons were mismatched. The fabric was malliable and soft, a result from years of love. It may have been shabby, but it was comforting. She needed the comfort. This jacket has been with her since she was small.

Jaime reached the baggage claim. Eyes lifted to search for her bag. It was easily found. A small suitcase. She needed nothing more.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. She tensed and whipped around. This was new territory. New made her stomach knot. 

"Ah-sorry, I thought you were-" Tall, friendly faced, bushy haired, skinny. A kind man, she could tell. His voice faltered. He recognized her. She did him. "wait, you are! Jaime, right?"

Dan Avidan. Her father. The man who her mother left 16 years ago. "Yeah. Leigh-or-Dan, I guess. My mom kept calling you Dan." She shifted and ruffled her hair.

"Mary...." Jaime knew that wasn't the start of any sentence. Her mother did that too. When Jaime mentioned her father, Mary did the same thing. A murmur of a memory. He cleared his throat. "So welcome to California!"

Jaime smiled weakly. He was trying. 

"Thanks."

 


	8. A terrible terrible mess

_Dear Dan,_

_I don’t know if you remember me-_

He did. He remembered her vividly. She would always be the one who got away.

_But we used to date when we were young._

19\. They were 19.

_We were young and stupid and so very careless._

But so very in love, or so he thought.

 

I _know you told me to forget about me. To pretend that I ever existed._

 

He couldn’t forget. He could lie and pretend, but never could he forget.

 

_But we made a mistake. A wonderful and beautiful mistake._

 

His only mistake was letting her go.

 

 _I had to leave you, no matter how much I wanted to stay_.

 

Why did she go?

 

_I got pregnant. I was pregnant with a beautiful baby girl. She’s yours, Danny._

 

He had a daughter?

 

 _I named her Jaime. Jaime Lily. She’s so much like you_.

 

Like him?

 

_Everytime I look at her I see you. I love her so much Danny._

 

What was his daughter like? Who was she? He wanted so desperately to know.

 

_I need your help, Danny. All my relatives are gone, and if I don’t find someone to take care of her she’s going to go into foster care._

 

Why couldn’t she take care of her? What’s wrong?

 

_I am dying, Danny. It’s cancer and I’m being moved to hospice care. I can’t take care of her._

She’s dying? Just after he heard from her again? This wasn’t fair.

 

_Please take her in. She’s a good kid and it’s about time that she met her father. Please call me back. Even if it’s just to say no, I need you to call._

 

_Love,_

_Mary Buchanan_

Dan read the letter over and over. Tears were falling from his cheeks, but he didn’t notice. He had a daughter. She was 16 years old. Mary was dying. Mary and him had a daughter. He was never told he had a daughter. Mary put in time and energy to find him. His daughter might go into foster care.

Dan pressed the letter to his forehead. This was a lot to take in. He couldn’t take in a kid, could he? Barry and he had a spare room, but they were two guys. What teenage girl would want to live with two men? Plus they had one bathroom, and they were complete strangers.

But she was his kid. Didn’t he have duty to her? Didn’t he owe it to Mary? Dan groaned and leaned back in his chair. There was a knock on the door.

“Dan?” Arin opened the door. He noticed Dan’s red eyes and shining cheeks. He was starting to regret giving his friend the room to himself. “Are you okay? What the hell was in that letter?”

Should Dan tell him? He hated secrets, but this was huge. Dan groaned again. If he took in Jaime, then he would have to tell the lovelies. What would they think of him? It wasn’t like he abandoned Mary. She left him without ever telling why.

“Dan, dude. Talk to me!” Arin was a little worried. Dan dejectedly handed him the letter-now crumpled and slightly tear-stained. Arin read it, his eyes widening with each new line. “Holy shit.” Arin sat next to Dan, whose face was buried in his hands. “Is this legit?”

“That’s Mary, dude. She mentioned stuff that was our stuff, you know? And Mary doesn’t lie.”

“Then you have a kid?”

“Apparently! God I feel sick!” Dan pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes. Another wave of hot tears began to fall. “I’m such a scumbag, I can’t believe I got a girl pregnant.”

“It’s not like you knew!” Arin has never seen his friend like this.

“She raised a kid by herself, and Jaime probably hates me for letting her mom go and if I can’t take care of her then she’ll hate me more and-”

“Dan, dude, take a deep breath.”

Dan did. In, out, in, out. Many deep breaths. He couldn’t breath. He couldn’t-

“Dan-calm down!” Arin ordered. Dan couldn’t go into a panic attack, but he was crying and shaking. “It’s okay, dude. It’s going to be okay.” But was it? Arin had no fucking idea. Dan had a kid. He was a mess. This was a mess.

**Such a terrible, terrible mess.**


	9. What do I know?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything is crashing down.

_'What do I know?'_  

The mantra her mother taught her. When Jaime began to extrapolate-to go down the rabbit hole that her mind created-her mother would pull her back with those words. Focus on the facts, solely the facts.

_'My mom is dead.'_

 

 

Jaime sat on her bed with the phone held to her ear. Her hair created a curtain around her face.

"She didn't want a funeral. Most of her body is going to science, then what's left over is going to buried in the cemetery 'without the pomp and circumstance.'.... I'm so sorry Jaime."

God she hated that phrase.

Her mom's lawyer began to tell her the specifics of her mothers will. Jaime knew her mom had made one, she was the witness of its signing. Her mom had even told Jaime what she was entitled to; a sum of money in a bank account that's inaccessible until she was 18, a selection of family heirlooms, and aspects of her mother's possessions. Jaime was fine with that.

She was not fine with her mother dying.

"Do you want me to call your father?"

Oh god. Danny.

How would Danny react? He'd be heartbroken, he still sort of loved her mom. And what about his and Jaime's relationship? He'd walk on eggshells and they'd lose all the progress they've made in the past 6 months.

Then the "I'm so sorry,"s and the "I'm here for you"s. She couldn't handle that again. Not after Julie.

"No....No I'll tell him." She pulled her beanie further down over her eyes. 

_'I can just hide it.'_

She was a good actor. "I like being alone," "I'm not scared," "I'm fine,"

"Jaime! Are you home?"

That was Barry. Jaime wiped at her eyes furiously and stood up. Quietly, she made her way to the bathroom. After she locked the door behind her, she replied-

"I'm home! Welcome back!"

Her voice didn't shake. That's good. That's a good start.

She pressed a cold washcloth against her face to get rid of the redness of her eyes. After a few minutes, her whites returned to their normal color. She took a shaking breath.

Do it for Dan. If anything else, do it for Dan.

She left the bathroom and fixed a smile of her face.

"Hey Barry! How was your day?"

 

 

 


	10. My thighs can kill a man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Athleticism at its finest.
> 
> The title is a reply to someone telling Jaime she had 'Thunder Thighs'.

"That was like, wow! Like wow, Jaime!"

Dan couldn't stop gushing. He never took himself as a soccer dad, but holy shit he was a soccer dad. Or a track dad, actually.

Jaime rolled her eyes, but was smiling nonetheless. Her sports goggles hung from her neck and a sweat towel from her shoulders. Her track uniform felt a little grimy on her skin, but she didn't care.

"You totally flew, man! I could barely keep track of you!" Dan was over the moon.

"It wasn't my best time." She tried to bring him down. Instead he rose to mars. "Not your best time?! Is your best time the fucking speed of light?!"

"Speed of sound, actually." He stared at her, her tone so flat he had to look into her eyes to see if she was actually joking. 

She was.

"You-You're so good, Jaime, I'm so proud of you!" He reached over and ruffled her hair, uncaring about the sweat. It wasn't like his hair was much cleaner. She batted him away, but he persisted. He knew she secretly loved it.

"Stop!" She whined.

"Never!" He giggled. Though he did stop, and eventually he put his hands back on the wheel. "Hey, Why didn't you go to the celebration?"

Both male and female teams won the meet, and everyone decided to go out to celebrate. A few people opted out, though. Jaime was one of them.

"I'm tired and sweaty and I want a shower." 

"But you could celebrate after you shower!"

"What if I want to bask in the praise of my adoring soccer father?" She realized what he was too. Her smug grin reinforced the fact.

"God you're so creepy when you do that." Dan shuddered. "Like you turn into Ross." She grinned harder. "Stop that!" She did, her grin going back to the normal neutral lilt of the lip. "Thank you," He sighed, "Now we're celebrating!"

"Dan-"

"You can take your shower and your nap or whatever, but dude, you won your meet!"

"Yeah, but-"

"Come on! I want to treat you for being a fucking bad-ass!" She covered her mouth to hide the beaming grin on her face. He glanced at her,"Aw, look at you being all smiley!" 

"Shut up," Slight muffled from her mouth. 

"Nah, you love it. Oh, hey, grab your phone. Call everyone for dinner?" He was asking, making sure she did actually want to do this. She nodded and pulled out her phone.

"Can we go out for sushi?"

"'Can we go out for sushi?'" He scoffed, "Of course we can go out for sushi! We're celebrating you, dumb-ass!"

"Hey, fucking language!"

 

* * *

 

"Congratulations Jaime!"

Everyone clinked their glasses together. Jaime sat between the window and her father. She was showered and dressed. Her typical charm necklace was back around her neck, tinkling softly whenever she shifted.

"Wait, show it again!" Arin asked Dan. Dan giggled and compiled all too happily. He held out his phone and everyone watched eagerly. Jaime rolled her eyes and sipped her drink.

"Look at you go man!"

"Holy shit dude!"

Everyone watched Jaime run down the track. Dan's exclamations in the video mixed with the one's in the present.

"You're awesome dude!" Arin reached over and highfived Jaime. 

"Finally, an athlete in this family of ours!" Suzy joked.

"Hey, I'll have you know that she inherited that skill from me!" protested Dan. 

"Sure, Dan." 

That earned a laugh. Jaime tugged at her beanie, a large smile on her face.

"Hey, why are you wearing that inside?" Ross asked, poking her forehead. She jerked back, making his finger press against her nose instead. 

"Cause my hair's still wet and stop touching me with your nasty Australian hands!"

"How is it still wet?!"

"As much as she hates admitting it, she got my Jew-fro," Dan draped an arm over her shoulder before hugging her to his side.

"I don't hate admitting it, I just like pointing out that I was taught how to take care of it like an actual human," she sipped her drink dramatically. Dan rose his eyebrows. 

"Ooh, shots fired!" Barry hollered.

"You want to play that game little lady? I can ground you!" Dan threatened. It was an empty and joking one, and everyone at the table could see that.

"You can try old man!"

More ooh's and laughter. Dan mussed her hair once again.

It was strange how easily this group became a family.

Jaime would never admit it, but she was desperate for one. With her mother slowly slipping from her grasp, Jaime wanted- _needed, really_ \- someone else. Someone who could....love her, because if- _once_ -her mom goes, there would be no one left to do so.

"Hey, you okay kiddo?" Jaime jerked up from her thoughts. Dan was smiling down at her, albeit slightly worried. "You were pretty out of it."

"I was just lost in my thoughts," Jaime assured him.

"Were they good thoughts, at least?"

Jaime looked at her father, an odd expression on her face. Finally her lips spread into a smile.

"Yeah."

 


	13. An Announcement

I have decided to rewrite this story. It'll be the same characters, same plot, but hopefully better writing.

 

So look out for the second version, whenever I get to finishing the first chapter. 


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